Enemies With Benefits

Chapter 44: This was Goodbye

This was it.

This was goodbye.

Marinette could feel her eyes begin to swell up with tears, looking outside the window of Alya's car. Alya offered to drive Marinette to the airport to meet Adrien. Alya sighed, "It's going to be okay, Marinette. You'll always have me no matter what. I know you're not exactly wanting to hear that from me right now, but I mean it." Alya said with a small smile.

Marinette shook her head, "No Alya, it means a lot. You're my best friend." She said, blinking the tears away. Alya nodded with a concerned look, Marinette was always so happy with Adrien around... seeing her best friend broken all over again? It was going to break her heart.

***

Marinette could see Adrien waiting with his luggage just before the escalators that lead to his flight back to America. Marinette could cry, as she ran up to Adrien and threw herself to embrace him. He held her in his arms, not ever wanting to let go. "I'm gonna miss you so much." He said, pressing a long kiss to her lips.

She only held him tighter, "I'll miss you more..." she said, her voice cracking with heartache as the tears began to fall. Her eyebrows narrowed, "Don't forget me okay?" She said, he frowned, shifting so his eyes met hers. "Never." He said softly, his eyes watering as he began kissing her.

Alya waited patiently, couldn't Marinette see he didn't want to leave her? She could see Adrien stare into Marinette's eyes like she was his whole world. Why couldn't Marinette see that? Adrien looked at her like he was waiting for her to say something.

Say it Marinette.

What about the promise you made to Gabriel?

"I... I love you." Adrien said softly, burying his nose into her hair. Marinette felt her chest tighten, the words wouldn't leave her lips.

Stay.

I want you to stay, Adrien.

Adrien could hear his flight number being called, but he didn't want to leave her. Marinette slowly parted from him. a tear sliding down her cheek. He wanted her to say more. His hand not letting go of hers until she stepped away. He turned, and her eyes followed him as he went up the escalator.

And, he didn't turn back around...

"What is wrong with you, Marinette?" She could hear Alya say as she grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. "Couldn't you see that he was just waiting for you to tell him to stay!?"

"What, but I... he made his choice. What did you expect me to do?"

"It doesn't matter what I expected you to do, who's Adrien to you? There will never be a better time to be clear with yourself Marinette, do you want him to leave or do you want him to stay?" Alya asked.

Marinette looked back at the escalator, she couldn't even see Adrien anymore. Could she really live with that the rest of her life? There was a pause, when she suddenly urged herself to run. "Adrien, STAY!" She pulling out her phone, her battery was dead. "No! Come back! You have to stay!"

He had already boarded the plane. The boy collecting the plane tickets closing the door that lead to the plane as Marinette watched the plane begin to move. "Adrien I... love you too." She whispered to herself, he was already long gone.

This was it. The end of their relationship. This wasn't some corny romance comedy movie where she chases him or chases the plane to confess her love for him last minute.

This was Goodbye...

***

The next day at work, Marinette just sat at her desk, contemplating her thoughts as she stared at the pencil in front of her. She looked at all the designs and sketches she made over the last week, the ones that Adrien gave her advice on. Her heart sank at the thought of him. The thought of him visiting her each time she had a bad day at work, or bringing her lunch just to spend time with her.

She knew she needed to move on, I mean at least she had finally got her clarity. She did love him.

She always would.

She ignored the messages on her phone, she didn't exactly feel like talking to anyone. All she could think about was Adrien. A tear ran down her cheek, a sigh escaping her lips before she began sketching a design. The pencil in her hand tracing across the paper with ease, she wanted to base this design on... how she felt.

How she felt for Adrien, how she felt about him leaving. A perfect representation of heart break, and utter love. The pencil gliding across the paper as she furrowed her eyebrows in determination.

She thought about the last words he said to her at the airport. "I love you." He said before he left.

Her eyes watered as she continued to draw her design. She thought about the stupid promise she made to Gabriel on July 4th. "Promise you'll be there for him when I'm gone."

She thought about what Adrien had said to her years ago on top of the Eiffel Tower when they were friends. "Promise me you won't let kagami, or anyone else get in between us again. Promise you'll talk to me about it first."

She thought about her last time making love to him, and her first time. The night on the balcony when he first confessed his feelings to her. The day they watched the sunset together and she finally found out who he truly was. She thought about how she absolutely despised him before that, and when she was forced to tutor him in calculus.

She thought about the stupid accident in art class when she spilt blue paint all over herself and he started calling her blue.

A tear plopped on the paper, as Marinette looked at her sketch. It was... crazy.

All the different colors and patterns couldn't be more perfect at describing her love for Adrien. It was messy, but it was insanely beautiful. 

She wouldn't change a thing.